We can all appreciate the idea behind gardening and growing your own food. You have the ability to be self-sustaining, bypass the additives and chemicals the supermarkets put in your food, and potentially save a lot of money. The catch is that you normally have to spend a lot of time monitoring your vegetables, protecting them from insects and the elements. This can be tricky if you’ve got a 9-5 job with a long commute, or you work overtime every chance you get. Thankfully, technology has come a long way in recent years, and you don’t even have to be… read more

Newspaper: Using old newspapers for wrapping gifts is one of my favorite options. Take use of the colorful section from the newspaper and use it for wrapping. As the colorful parts are glossy, it would be a perfect eco-friendly option for wrapping gifts. Those pages are also brighter and more festive. Fabric: Take use of recycled or recyclable fabric for wrapping. You can easily design your options and wrap your gifts with ease. This art of wrapping gifts is one of the greener methods, because the fabric may be reused multiple times. Old Magazines: Choose only the old magazines that… read more

The return of school means the onset of shopping for necessities and long days that require organization and durable gear. Get school ready with these do it yourself alternatives to store bought stuff. Backpacks to carry supplies are a must, but retail options are pricey. Also, the bottom portions of many are thin and not sturdy enough so pencils and playgrounds wreak havoc and holes begin to form. If you have leftover fabric or come across a textile sale and can work a sewing machine, try a homemade backpack. Complete with a side drink holder this one lays it all… read more

Despite the efforts of home gardeners to grow plants in a manner that is safe for bee, many gardeners are actually filling their yards with deadly insecticides. Bee die-off rates have reached staggering proportions within recent years. Last winter, beekeepers reported a loss of 40-90% of their bees. There are a few known causes contributing to this death toll, from commercial insecticide use to Colony Collapse disorder, a phenomenon discovered in France in the 1990’s, in which the adult bees mysteriously abandon the hive, leaving even their queens behind. Now it seems some of the problem is coming from the… read more

Beets are high in vitamins and minerals and are antioxidant rich, versatile root vegetables. In addition to their health benefits and culinary value, beets are also a natural colorant. The rich hues provided by beets can be used for other purposes outside of the kitchen, including for making organic makeup tints. Simple and effective, try some of these suggestions and you may be searching for a local steady supply of them to keep around. Try this rose tinted cheek stain that you can make with only 2 ingredients. Combine simmered, strained beets with pure vegetable glycerine that is intended for… read more

Though they plead for you to do otherwise, with the incessant pawing at the doors and longing glares out the windows, it is best to keep your pets inside. Not only is it safer for your four-legged companions, but is actually better ecologically. Annually, cats kill 1.4 to 3.7 billion birds per year, as concluded from a study by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. They kill even more mammals, tallying up a head count of 6.9 to 20.7 billion. All of which is made possible by outdoor access. These findings are not exclusive to feral cats. For every week a… read more

Phosphates have been a major ingredient in cleaning items for some time, and their use has been scrutinized and forbidden in some cleaners. It comes from many sources, like runoff from rain, agricultural and water system industries and from using cleansers that contain phosphates, and all of this adds to the accumulation in water supplies. Phosphates have been used in many cleaners like dishwashing and laundry detergents. They reportedly can make soaps work better by assisting in dirt and grease removal, helping to prevent spots and keeping dirt particles from attaching to surfaces. Though they are helpful for cleaning, in… read more

Numerous research studies have been conducted on deodorants and whether or not they can cause health problems. Many outcomes have provided contradictory results, indicating that more research is needed in this area. The main active compounds found in deodorants and antiperspirants are normally aluminum based. They work by forming a barrier between the sweat ducts and the outer skin, therefore decreasing the appearance of sweat production. Some studies have suggested that these compounds are troublesome since they are continually reapplied and left on, and are capable of being absorbed through the skin and into the system. Some examinations have posed… read more

Image Source: http://farm4.staticflickr.com For many, a serene evening under the stars is obstructed by various visitors of winged and multiple limbs. Indeed, contact with some of these pests poses health risks, as with the connection between mosquito bites and dengue fever. Still, though they are sometimes pesky in the context of our daily lives, these minute creatures do play a intrinsic role in the web of biodiversity. Thus, it is not always wise to seek out chemical solutions in order to rid of them. Not only do chemical pesticides harm insects, but humans and pets as well. They also leach… read more

Water is one of those commodities we take for granted and tend to use exorbitantly. Whether it’s showering, washing the dishes, watering the garden, or doing laundry, we usually don’t give a second thought to the amount of H2O we’re consuming. If you lucked out and live in an apartment or home where the water bill is taken care of, that’s great, but it’s still a good practice to conserve your water. After all, you never know if the next water shortage might be just around the corner, leaving you high and dry. Let’s start with the easiest one on… read more